The Puranas are the religious texts of Hinduism. They were written way back. For modern scholars to say the ancient cultures that wrote the Vedas were primitive is arrogant. But that is what historians have lead us to believe for several hundred years if not more.
But modern science is proving the ancient sages that penned the Vedas of India knew more about the creation of the Universe, the human mind and consciousness than they are given credit for. And even more than scientists of today.
The Puranas are a prime example. Although classified as mythological or religious texts, these 18 cryptic books explain the creation of the Universe and the evolution mankind. Modern scientists on the other hand are still trying to work that conundrum out and openly admit they cannot explain consciousness.
The origin of the Puranas is unknown. Scholars believe they were written in the 4th century AD, and intended for common men and women that could not understand the philosophical nature of the earlier Vedas.
But the knowledge contained within the pages of the Puranas demonstrate the writers had an understanding of how the creation of the Universe occurred.
Modern science could not fathom any of the concepts illustrated in the Puranas until at the least the Middle-ages. Some information – albeit a riddle shrouded by symbolism – might even explain the evolution of mankind which was not proposed in modern terms until Charles Darwin put forward his theory on the origins of man in the early 19th century. The theory is still unsolved.
In total, there are 18 books that make up the canon of Puranas. As a collective they honour the Hindu Trimurti. Six are Sattvic and glorify Vishnu, six are Rajasic and are dedicated to brahma and six are Tamasic and honour Shiva.
The 18 Puranas are:
1. Vishnu Purana
2. Naradiya Purana
3. Bhagavat Purana
4. Garuda Purana
5. Padma Purana
6. Brahma Purana
7. Varaha Purana
8. Brahmanda Purana
9. Brahma-Vaivarta Purana
10. Markandeya Purana
11. Bhavishya Purana
12. Vamana Purana
13. Matsya Purana
14. Kurma Purana
15. Linga Purana
16. Shiva Purana
17. Skanda Purana
18. Agni Purana
The most important book in the Puranas is the Bhagavata Purana. It is here that we learn about the nine avatars of Vishnu; fish, turtle, boar, man-lion, the dwarf, man with an axe, Rama, Krishna, and Buddha.
The sequence of incarnations of Vishnu explains the evolution of mankind from fish, to reptiles, to animals, to Neanderthals (the lion is symbolic of strength and wisdom), to dwarf men (symbolic for the weakness and shortcomings of man), to men that became builders and created the first civilised cities, and then on to moral man, philosophical man and finally enlightened man.
The deeper meanings of the Puranas
Scholars say the Puranas have five distinctive characteristics; cosmology, history, secondary creation, genealogy of kings and the dawn of mankind on earth.
But ancient sages used the writings to greater effect. The symbolism in ancient myths helps to explain consciousness and man’s connection to the divine consciousness that flows through us as cosmic forces of nature – later described by the Chinese as Yin-Yang.
The first part of the Brahma Purana explains how consciousness comes into being as thoughts and emotions. Brahma is born from Vishnu’s navel, the source of all emotions. Brahma is the creator God and we create our reality through thoughts and emotions.
In the Vishnu Purana are tales of battles being fought between the Devas and Asuras. In Hindu mythology, Devas are Gods and Asuras are demons. Essentially they represent our higher conscious mind and our lower conscious mind.
The battles, inspired by history, actually reflect the battles we have with ourselves when we know we have to change our habits, but find it difficult to suppress the overwhelming urges of unconscious mind.
In the Shiva Purana, the God Shiva is glorified over Vishnu, and vice-versa in the Vishnu Purana. But they are thought to be of the same essence and have equal importance.
Shiva is the destroyer that is gives us the strength and the power to overcome habits that no longer serve us. When we are able to do that, we expand our conscious awareness and grow spiritually.
Other important Puranas
The story of Markandeya in the Narada Purana expands on this notion of expanded conscious awareness. Markandeya is a devotee of Lord Vishnu and is granted to live for eternity – the idea of reincarnation.
We are essentially energy, and all energy returns to the source. When we die energy, the life force that enables us to have an experience on Earth, will also return to the origin.
The third part of the Linga Purana explains how we are connected to the energies of the Universe. The story describes Mount Meru, the mythical place where the Hindu Gods live.
However, the Gods represent aspect of human consciousness, morals and behaviours. Essentially, they are aspects of our character. Therefore, if Mount Meru is the place where the Gods reside, Meru must be our body and mind.
The book also describes seven islands. These are the seven chakras in the human body, energy centres which channel energy and distribute it around our body.
The Purana describes the relationship between the Purusha and Prakriti, feminine and masculine aspects of the Universe which form the Shiva Linga. The Linga spans the Universe and has no beginning and no end. Nor does consciousness.
In essence, the Linga (male energy) and the Yoni (female energy) these are the protons and electrons of atoms, the building blocks of creation. The ancients realised that all life comes from one point of origin and therefore the Universe and everything in it is interconnected.
If you find the chance to read the Puranas, don’t take the stories literally. Otherwise you completely miss the point of the knowledge the ancient sages of India had. And once you understand the symbolism in the Puranas, together with the other Vedic texts, the myths make much sense.